ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL HAZARDS IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY: A LITERATURE STUDY
Keywords:
oil and gas industry, environmental management, physical hazards, chemical hazards, occupational healthAbstract
Oil and gas operations involve interconnected physical and chemical hazards affecting workers, the environment, and nearby communities. Effective risk management combines source control, equipment integrity, environmental and occupational monitoring, worker protection, emergency preparedness, contractor oversight, verified corrective action, and organizational learning. Chemical risks occur through air, water, soil, vegetation, and produced-water pathways, while physical risks include fire, explosion, pressure, confined spaces, heat, noise, vibration, and infrastructure failure. Monitoring alone is insufficient without management commitment, training, reporting, and controls for both routine exposures and major accidents. Evidence is stronger for emissions and process safety than for occupational noise, vibration, heat, long-term biomonitoring, multimedia exposures, interventions, and community health. Future systems should integrate industrial hygiene, environmental science, process safety, digital monitoring, and environmental-equity analysis.
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